Madlib (Mind Altering Demented Lessons In Beats) (born Otis Jackson Jr. on October 24, 1973 in Oxnard, California, United States) is a California-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer. Known under a plethora of pseudonyms, he is one of the most prolific and critically acclaimed hip hop producers of the 2000s and has collaborated with myriad hip hop artists, including The Alkaholiks, Mos Def, De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, A.G., Dre Silkk, MF DOOM (as Madvillain), and the late J Dilla (as Jaylib). Madlib describes himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last," and he has done several projects as a DJ, mixer, or remixer. Alongside collaborators J Dilla and MF Doom, Madlib has been an influence on an upcoming generation of producers and musicians, many of which prefer Madlib's abstract styles.
Madlib was born in Oxnard, California to musician parents Otis Jackson, Sr. and DoraSinesca Jackson. He was raised in Oxnard, and currently works in Los Angeles. He began making music with the rap group Lootpack in the early 1990s. After his father started an independent label Crate Diggas Palace (CDP) Records in 1996 to promote Madlib and his CDP crew, including younger sibling, Oh No the Disrupt, and released an EP "Ill Psyche Move", Lootpack caught the attention of Peanut Butter Wolf, founder of the Stones Throw Records label. They released two singles and a full-length album on the Stones Throw imprint in 1999. Madlib also worked with rap group Tha Alkaholiks for several albums.
